<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Moment of Clarity by MindyAudacious</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27504856">Moment of Clarity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MindyAudacious/pseuds/MindyAudacious'>MindyAudacious</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood and Violence, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Time Travel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 03:16:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,694</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27504856</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MindyAudacious/pseuds/MindyAudacious</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Valkyrie travels back in time to save Skulduggery from himself.</p><p>(My take on Skulduggery's moment of clarity when he took off the armor.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Valkyrie Cain/Skulduggery Pleasant</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Alexandra</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Valkyrie awoke to the sound something in her house breaking. Xena was barking at her bedroom door, scratching at the wood.</p><p>Valkyrie slowly gets up, fingers tingling with magic as she went up to the door. Her first thought was Skulduggery coming into the house uninvited, but he's never clumsy enough to break something, and he's never come in without permission first. Her next guess was a burglar or a sorcerer who wanted her dead. So she gets her phone out and speed-dials Skulduggery. He picks up on the second ring.</p><p>"Someone's in my house," she whispered.</p><p>"I'm on my way," he said quickly before hanging up.</p><p>She calms Xena down. She stops barking but continues to growl. Valkyrie grabs the door knob and slowly opens the door. She peaks out, no one in the hallway, and walks out with Xena. She heads for the stairs and quietly walks down, careful not to creak the wood. Xena, however, races down. She turns and disappears into the living room. A woman's scream pierces the air, then there's a thud and Xena's barking again.</p><p>Valkyrie runs down the stairs and sees a girl pinned under Xena, wriggling under her to try and get free. She has black hair tied into a bun and was wearing a long dress. She looked like she jumped right out of the 1600's.</p><p>She looks up and sees Valkyrie, freezing in place. Xena stops barking and starts sniffing her.</p><p>"Hello," she squeaked.</p><p>Valkyrie intimidates her with a crackle of lightning flowing through her fingertips. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?"</p><p>"Ah, yes, of course. However, before I explain would you care to get your beautiful dog off of me?"</p><p>"Not until you explain."</p><p>She sighed. "Very well. My name is Alexandra Mourn. I am a time-traveling sorcerer and I have come from the eighteen-hundreds to ask you for your help. I have only recently found out that Skulduggery Pleasant is Lord Vile, and have also recently discovered that he is living in this time as, how you say, a good person. You are Valkyrie Cain, yes?"</p><p>Valkyrie frowns. "I am..." Her magic slowly fades. "Well, you certainly look and sound like you're from the past, and if you know Skulduggery is Lord Vile than maybe you're telling the truth."</p><p>She quickly nods. "I will not lie, I have been watching you and Sir Pleasant for a while now, and you two seem very close." Xena seems to have grown board and decided to walk off onto the couch. Alexandra gets up and dusts off her dress. "I have come to believe that you are the only one who is capable enough to save him from himself, so I have come to ask you to help me save Skulduggery Pleasant by traveling back into the past with me."</p><p>The image of Lord Vile pops into her mind and she quickly shakes her head. "Oh no, there is no way I can go up against Lord Vile by myself. Besides, he said he came to his senses one day, so all you have to do is wait until then."</p><p>Alexandra barks a laugh. "There is no possible way that a man like that comes to his senses on a whim. If we do not stop him there is a very high possibility he will destroy the whole world." She holds her hand out to her. "Please, at least give me a chance to show you I am telling you the truth of being a time traveler. Once you see the war, see how much help we need, than you can decide if we really need your help or not." Valkyrie hears the Bentley pull up in the driveway and hesitates. "Miss Cain, I beg you."</p><p>"Can we bring Skulduggery?"</p><p>Alexandra shakes her head. "He cannot travel with us for a reason. Please, Miss Cain-"</p><p>The front door gets kicked down and Alexandra disappears with a small pop as the air fills in the space.</p><p>Skulduggery runs in, gun in his hand. He looks around before his eyes fall on Valkyrie. "What happened?"</p><p>Valkyrie hesitates. "It was a burglar," she decides to say. "I scared him off."</p><p>Skulduggery puts his gun back in his holster before walking over to the broken vase near her shelf. "He didn't take anything, did he?" He starts to pick up the glass on the floor.</p><p>"No, just broke the vase."</p><p>He slowly nods.</p><p>There's a sinking feeling in her stomach as she watches him. He definitely doesn't believe her, she could tell, and it makes her feel even worse that he isn't saying anything about her lying.</p><p>"I'll leave this in the wheelie bin in the back."</p><p>Valkyrie slowly nods, Skulduggery not bothering to be in the room for the response. He was upset. He was upset that she was lying again. The question was going to arise, she knew, and she began to wonder how to go about it. Telling him, she thought, would end in Skulduggery refusing Valkyrie to go alone, if go at all. He knew how evil he was, and he knew that she wouldn't get the chance to even go up to him. But what if Alexandra was right and she was the one who saves him? What if there was a way for her to save him, and what if she really was the only one who could do it.</p><p>Skulduggery walked back in, crossing his arms before leaning against the wall. "So, are you going to tell me what really happened?"</p><p>She had to at least try.</p><p>Valkyrie hung her head. "No..."</p><p>"Are you planning on doing something behind my back?"</p><p>"Probably..."</p><p>"Is it dangerous?"</p><p>She hesitates. "It's very dangerous..."</p><p>Skulduggery pauses and the tension in her chest grew. "Do you promise to tell me eventually?"</p><p>"I promise..."</p><p>He sighs. "Alright then." He walks up to her and puts his hands on her shoulders. "You're 65 years old Valkyrie, and I trust you to make your own decisions. I don't like that you're doing something dangerous without me, but I trust that you'll come to me when you feel you need my help, and I trust that you'll be okay." He pulls her into a hug and she complies, tears threatening to spill. "Don't do anything stupid, alright?"</p><p>"Alright." She takes a moment to relish in the moment. "Skulduggery?"</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"I love you."</p><p>He gives a slight chuckle before hugging her tighter. "I love you too, my dear."</p><p>He pulls them apart and tilts his head. "That's not you saying goodbye, right?"</p><p>She laughs. "No, it isn't."</p><p>"Are you sure? If it is, than you definitely can't go alone."</p><p>She rolls her eyes. "Shut up and keep hugging me."</p><p>He pulls her back into the hug. "I am still an authority figure, I'm hundreds of years old. If that <em>I love you</em> was you saying goodbye, I will not release you from this hug ever again."</p><p>"Just shut up already you goon."</p><p> </p><p>Valkyrie had to wait two days before Alexandra appeared back in her house again. This time Valkyrie was sitting on the coach reading a book, a bag full of supplies next to her, waiting.</p><p>Alexandra almost jumps out of her skin. "Goodness gracious, Miss Cain! You startled me!"</p><p>"Yeah, it's going to take some getting used to if I have to talk like that during this mission." She gets up, swinging on the bag.</p><p>Alexandra's face brightens. "Does that mean you will help me?!"</p><p>Valkyrie nods. "It does. Remind me why Skulduggery can't help us though."</p><p>"Sir Pleasant exists in that past timeline. If he's spotted than it could ruin the flow of space and time. You, Miss Cain, do not exist in that time. Once you complete your mission everyone who has met you will not remember you at all."</p><p>Valkyrie frowns. "Then how will Skulduggery remember what made him become the good guy?"</p><p>"He will think he simply came to his senses, just as you have said he told you." She holds her hand out. "Are you prepared?"</p><p>"As prepared as I'll ever be." She grabs her hand. "Let's go."</p><p>Valkyrie watches as the world around her turns black, like someone had shut off all the lights. She blinks, and finds herself in the middle of the woods. "Welcome, Miss Cain, to the year eighteen fifty-five."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Shadow of Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So," Valkyrie breathes, "this is Ireland in the eighteen-hundreds..."</p><p>They were standing at the outskirts of a town. She guessed it was Haggard, but she wasn't sure if that's what it was called back then. She suddenly regrets not trying to remember the information her reflection Stephanie had absorbed in history class. </p><p>Alexandra nods as she walked towards her after grabbing something hiding in a pile of bushes. "Yes ma'am. We don't have too much time to chit-chat though, we have much to do. First..." She shoves a change of clothes into Valkyrie's arms. "... you'll need to change into these."</p><p>"Oh." She holds out the ankle-long brown dress. She tries her best not to show her disdain as she ask, "How am I supposed to fight in this?"</p><p>"I apologize, the clothes you are holding are mine and I never really saw the need to wear clothes the fighters do. I am a time-traveler, not a fighter, and much prefer to stick to woman's clothing rather than men's."</p><p>Valkyrie sighed. "I'll make it work."</p><p>She hides behind a tree to change. She was about an inch taller than Alexandra so the dress was a bit tight, but if anything she could probably stretch it out. Her black boots luckily don't look too... futurey? She couldn't say out-of-date since she bought them in the future technically, or, no, she bought them in the present since now she was in the past.</p><p>Getting a bit of a headache from the thought she pushes the subject of time out of her mind and walks towards Alexandra. "Almost perfect," she said, "you just need to tie your hair into a bun." Valkyrie pulls her hair back before realizing she had never tied her hair in a bun before.</p><p>"Uhm... sorry, would you mind helping me?"</p><p>Alexandra expertly ties her hair in a bun, tying it as quickly as it takes Valkyrie to tie her hair in a ponytail, which she finds pretty impressive.</p><p>They walk into town and it doesn't take long for Valkyrie to realize something is off. It was the middle of the day. The weather wasn't a beautiful sunny day, but it wasn't raining and yet no one was outside walking the pavements. Not even animals lounged the area. It was so quiet she could drop a pin and hear it hit the ground.</p><p>"Where is everyone?" Valkyrie asks, her voice in a whisper. She knew no one was outside, but she felt like something might jump at her if she spoke too loud.</p><p>"They're hiding. This town is one of the views that is populated by strictly sorcerers, so they are one of the towns that are in danger of being under attack, especially around this time since Lord Vile has been making attacks nearby. These are times of war, Miss Cain, a lot of people are living in fear."</p><p>A sense of pity swarm through the pit of her stomach. She knew what it was like to fight in a war, to be away from home for so long that your family thinks you may have died. War, she has learned, is scary.</p><p>"Do you know where we can find Meritorious?" Valkyrie asks.</p><p>Alexandra smiles. "I haven't the foggiest."</p><p>"Don't say it like that."</p><p>"Like how?"</p><p>"Like everything is fine. Nothing is fine. We need to find either one of the leaders of the good side, or at the very most the Dead Men in order to find Lord Vile. Isn't this a time sensitive mission?"</p><p>"I don't want to reduce your promptness in defeating Lord Vile, however this mission is not exactly time sensitive seeing as we can just go back in time. There is, however, a number of times I can time-travel in a month. Time traveling takes up a lot of magic, much more than any other form of magic. If I travel too many times without rest I could possibly die."</p><p>Valkyrie frowns. "How many times can you travel in a month then?"</p><p>"Around ten times, twelve if I'm lucky though."</p><p>"And how many times have you traveled this month?"</p><p>"If I have not lost count, I've used my ability about six times now."</p><p>Valkyrie's eyes widened. "Six times already?!"</p><p>"It took quite a few tries to talk to you and convince you to come with me. In one time line you almost killed me."</p><p>"Oh. Uh... sorry about that."</p><p>"I do not take it personally."</p><p>"So you can only travel back four more times, and one travel needs to be saved to get me home."</p><p>"Two, actually, so I may travel back. No offense, but I'm not keen on staying in your timeline for too long."</p><p>"Understandable."</p><p>A shriek came on the far other side of town, cutting the eerie silence. They exchange glances and bolt down the street, racing for six long minutes until they arrive to the other side of town. There stood the deathly familiar black armor standing over the bloody body of an unconscious woman. The armor was exactly as she remembered it, only stronger as she felt a cold air emanating from it, sending goosebumps up her sweat drenched skin. The armor swallowed any light that hit it, and the slivers of space between each part of the armor poured with shadows, dissipating before the shadows could touch the floor.</p><p>Valkyrie has faced Lord Vile, but that was when Skulduggery was still there. This was Lord Vile in his prime, and fear wasn't a strong enough word to explain what she felt as he slowly turned to look at her.</p><p>Her fear turns her shock into panic. Her fingers burst with magic and she fires as much white lightning as she could muster in one blinding shock. A thick wall of shadows blocks her attack, disappearing as quickly as it appeared, and shows that Vile hadn't even moved to summon those shadows. </p><p>He tilts his head curiously at her attack, and it takes Valkyrie everything not to burst into tears and yell at him not to act like Skulduggery. The Skulduggery she knew would never kill someone who didn't deserve it, but Skulduggery didn't exist right now. Right now, it was only Lord Vile.</p><p>Alexandra grabs her hand. "We need to run!" She tries to pull her, but Valkyrie was frozen in place. She was trying to move her legs, trying to scream at them to move, but she couldn't. She was too scared and too angry to move. For the first time in a while she felt utterly hopeless.</p><p>Vile waves his hand and a spike of shadows flies to her. Her body finally moves and she lunges to the side, dragging Alexandra along with her as they tumble to the floor. The shadow changes direction with them and Valkyrie just summons a white shield in time to deflect the attack. The shield shatters and the spike breaks with it.</p><p>Valkyrie gets up, her head spinning. She couldn't do this. She was going to lose. She's only felt this lost and alone once, and that was when Skulduggery had been shunted away from her, thrown into the dimension of the Faceless Ones. She didn't like the feeling, and didn't expect to feel it again so soon, but seeing Vile in front of her, consuming the skeleton she knows, it was like a piece of her was being broken into helpless pieces.</p><p>"Skul-"</p><p>Vile was suddenly pushed to the side by a strong gust of wind, flying into an outhouse and falling into a heap in the pile of broken wood. Valkyrie realizes what she had almost blurted out, and also realizes that she could have died for revealing his real name. She inhales a breath.</p><p>"Are you two alright?"</p><p>The breath she had just taken leaves her as the familiar voice hits her ears. She turns her head and sees none other than Ghastly and Anton running up to her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Joining the War</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ghastly snaps his fingers and conjures flames in both hands. Anton runs up to Valkyrie and Alexandra.</p><p>"Are you two alright?" Anton asked them both before looking at Valkyrie specifically. "Especially you, you look like you've seen a ghost."</p><p>Valkyrie opens her mouth to speak, but the shock of seeing Ghastly and Anton stole her voice.</p><p>Alexandra takes Valkyrie's arm in hers. "Yes, we're quite alright," she said. "We're both quite in shock from coming across lord Vile."</p><p>Valkyrie turns back to the fight to watch Vile clamber out of the wood. Anton turns his attention to him and walks up. "You're outnumbered here, Lord Vile. You know a losing battle when you see it, unless you would like to fight, then we will all happily oblige."</p><p>Vile's head tilt and Valkyrie feels her stomach turn queasy. She wants to run over and just rip that helmet off him, and she just now starts to realize how much she really misses Skulduggery.</p><p>Heeding Anton's words, Vile turns and steps into an orb of shadows. The shadows fly off, and Vile's gone.</p><p>The two men head back to Valkyrie and Alexandra. "You two handled yourselves well," Ghastly says with genuine astonishment.  Valkyrie examined Ghastly and Anton. They looked to be younger than when she first met them, and she could of sworn Ghastly was an inch or two shorter. She hadn't considered how long it'll take her to grow old and grey, but she's starting to realize it'll take a very, very long time. That's a lot of time, she reckons. Maybe she should take up a side hobby like knitting.</p><p>"What are your names?"</p><p>"I'm Alexandra Mourn," Alexandra puts a hand on Valkyrie's, "and this is my cousin, Valkyrie Cain." Valkyrie raises an eyebrow at her, but she ignores her and continues. "We were actually on our way to find Sir Meritorious to offer our assistances."</p><p>Ghastly beams. "Well, I am sure we could use two brave women such as yourselves. Come with us." They begin walking further away from town, Valkyrie and Alexandra following close behind. "I didn't get to see too much of what happened, but I did notice a bright white light."</p><p>"That was my magic," Valkyrie blurted.</p><p>"What kind of magic do you have," Anton asked, "if you don't mind me asking?"</p><p>"Oh, well to be honest I'm not sure, no one has ever seen my kind of magic before. My friends and I just call it white magic." She holds a hand up and lets her magic dance across her fingertips, white electricity playing in her hand. The others stare in amazement.</p><p>"White magic," Ghastly repeats. "I definitely have never come across such magic."</p><p>"I am one of a kind."</p><p>Ghastly gives a hardy laugh, everyone looking over with confusion. "I apologize," he chuckles. "Hearing someone with such an ego just reminds me of an old friend of mine."</p><p>Anton smiles. "You mean Skulduggery?" Valkyrie feels her heart drop into her stomach.</p><p>Ghastly gives a smile of his own. "Yes, Skulduggery Pleasant." He looks back at the other two. "He was an old friend of ours as well as part of the resistance. He was a very good fighter, and a very good man. He went missing a couple years ago and we haven't heard from him since then. You would of gotten along with him though, he had quite the character."</p><p>"Well, before the incident," Anton adds solemnly.</p><p>Ghastly's face suddenly tightened. "Yes... before the incident..."</p><p>Alexandra frowned. "Incident?" She looked genuinely perplexed.</p><p>"Skulduggery Pleasant isn't exactly human," Anton explained, "he's a skeleton. He died quickly after his wife and child had been murdered and his rage had brought him back to life."</p><p>Alexandra's eyes widened. "Such rage can bring one back?"</p><p>"Well, that's what he told us, and we are not sure how else one can be brought back so we just believed him."</p><p>Valkyrie had to bite her tongue. She knew that wasn't true at all, that Vandameer Craven had brought Skulduggery Pleasant back from the dead because of Skulduggery's gift of necromancy. It came easy to him, just as it came easily to her once upon a time. Skulduggery didn't know that in this time though. If he knew now, would things have been different? Would his rage consume him in the same way? She swallowed these questions down into her stomach and let it digest. She didn't need to mention Skulduggery's past or his secrets, it was just between him and her after all. She just had to find Lord Vile, somehow snap him out of his hatred, and then go back to her time and give Skulduggery the biggest hug she can.</p><p>The start nearing what looked to be a camp site. People hurried around the area, some injured and some looking like they're in a rush, each of them heading into a tarp. One woman was dragging a bloodied man missing an arm into a tent, and Valkyrie had to do her best not to show her disdain. Even now, it still made her queasy to see the effects of war.</p><p>"Hard times," Anton muttered. "I'll be honest, we aren't winning right now, so we could really use as many people as we can get." He looks over his shoulder. "You two are brave for offering your services to a losing side."</p><p>"We might be losing," Valkyrie said, pushing aside her discomfort, "but this is what we believe in, and we're willing to die fighting for what's right."</p><p>Ghastly grinned. "I like your spirit. Forgive me for asking, but what was your name again? Valerie?"</p><p>"Valkyrie," she corrects, "with a K."</p><p>They stop in front of a red tent. "Valkyrie, I hope to be meeting you again."</p><p>She grins. "I'm positive that we will."</p><p>Ghastly holds the tent open. Valkyrie and Alexandra walk in. There, in the tent, sat Eachan Meritorious near a wooden table with a map on it. He wasn't much younger than when Valkyrie met him all those years ago, but his white hair was starting to grow in. Standing right next to him was none other than-</p><p>"Ravel," Valkyrie sneered.</p><p>At the name, the two suddenly look up and Valkyrie quickly dropped her expression when Alexandra elbowed her.</p><p>Ravel frowned. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"</p><p>She clears her throat. "No, sorry, I've just... I've heard about your heroic stories with the other Dead Men and... you know, I'm a huge fan."</p><p>His frown turns into a grin. "Ah, of course!" He looks at Meritorious. "I like her."</p><p>Meritorious narrows his eyes at him before turning back to them. "Can I help you two ladies with anything?"</p><p>Alexandra curtsies. "Eachan Meritorious, my name is Alexandra Mourn and my cousin here is Valkyrie Cain." Valkyrie follows her curtsy. "We are both here to offer our services during the war in whatever way we can."</p><p>He nods. "Miss Mourn, and Miss Cain. I am deeply honored and grateful that you two made your journey all the way over here, it could not have been easy, but I'm going to have to refuse your offer."</p><p>The three others in the room blink at him. "What?" they say in unison.</p><p>"Sir," Ravel said, "while I'd hate to question your judgement we need all the extra hands we can get."</p><p>He shakes his head. "From where we stand we won't be fighting much longer. I don't want to have to risk both of your lives for no reason. I'd hate to admit it, but I fear we may not win this one."</p><p>"You can't give up yet," Valkyrie exclaimed, "you still have troops and people willing to fight for you! If you stand down, if let them win then they'll bring back the Faceless Ones and the world will end."</p><p>"As much as I like your enthusiasm, you have to understand that we are fighting a losing battle. To add to that, we aren't even sure that the Faceless Ones exist, and even more unsure if there's even a way any of us can bring them back."</p><p>"They exist, and there <em>is</em> a way to bring them back."</p><p>Meritorious arched an eyebrow. "And how can you be so sure that they exist?"</p><p>Valkyrie bit her lip. "I just am. Trust me, I know they're real, and I also know that Mevolent will stop at nothing to bring them back."</p><p>He takes a moment to think. "Very well, I will humbly take your services. It seems you won't take no for an answer anyway. I must ask how you think we could win such a losing fight. You seem to have a plan in mind."</p><p>She nods. "We need to get rid of Lord Vile."</p><p> </p><p>"That was impressive," Ravel said as he walked them to their tent. "I don't believe I've seen someone give such a moving speech in a while."</p><p>"I'd hardly call what I gave a speech."</p><p>"Well, it certainly moved me, and you even convinced Meritorious to let you fight the war. Although your idea on how to win is a bit... well, your plan is nearly impossible. I'm not sure if you could tell, but Meritorious was very close to laughing, and that isn't easy to do." He stops. "Well, this is your tent."</p><p>He holds a hand out. "I'll see you both soon." He gives Alexandra a firm shake, but when Valkyrie holds her hand out he grabs it and leans down, giving the back of her hand a gentle kiss. It takes Valkyrie everything to not punch him. "Hopefully very soon." He smiles flirtatiously before taking his leave.</p><p>Valkyrie holds the urge to gag as they enter the tent. "I hate him."</p><p>"He seems like a nice fellow."</p><p>"He murdered my friends."</p><p>"Oh... He doesn't seem very nice anymore."</p><p>"I'd hope not." She sits on one of the two beds, immediately missing her old mattress as she sat on what felt like a straw mattress. "You don't think I've butchered anything, do you?"</p><p>"Well, even if you did, no one should remember you after some time."</p><p>"How does that work exactly?" Valkyrie asked. "Will they just forget about me or something?"</p><p>"Time is a very delicate thing. You do not exist during this time, so in order for time to fix itself you'll simply just slowly be erased from everyone's memory, except mine of course."</p><p>"So I could kill Ravel now in order to save my friends."</p><p>Alexandra quickly shook her head. "No, if you alter the timeline in such a drastic way you could endanger the future. Even in your time Skulduggery managed to change his ways, but if Ravel is alive in your time and you kill him now you could damage the future. You might not even exist if you kill him."</p><p>Valkyrie lowered her gaze to the ground before sighing. "Yeah, alright, fine." She takes her bag off, putting it next to her before she lays down on the hard straw and stares at the tent above her. "You think I'll really be able to stop Vile?"</p><p>"I think you're the only one capable of stopping him. You know Mr. Pleasant better than anyone."</p><p>"I know <em>Skulduggery, </em>not Lord Vile. They're two different people. One is a sociopath that likes murdering people and the other one likes telling stupid jokes and singing "Mr and Mrs. Jones" instead of a normal lullaby."</p><p>Alexandra frowns. "Who is Mrs. Jones?"</p><p>"Nevermind. Point is, I don't know Lord Vile."</p><p>"But you know who he used to be, and who he is going to be. I trust that when the time comes you will know exactly what to do."</p><p>Valkyrie zips her bag open and takes out her phone. She taps it open, unsurprised she has no service. She opens her contacts and sees Skulduggery's number.</p><p>"I hope so..."</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>